Easy and healthy rice recipes and tasty meals with rice
If you are looking for more healthy rice meals to try out then look no further. I have compiled our family’s favourite healthy rice recipes for you to try out and enjoy.
If you are now panicking and thinking, I don’t know how to cook rice then don’t worry. Check out my How to cook rice – the foolproof 5 step method article and you will be just fine!
Risotto is really easy too, with my risotto guide!
Healthy Rice recipes from around the world
Indian rice meals
There are so many Indian curry recipes that you can serve with boiled rice. Our favourites are Jalfrezi and Keema Curry.
Other curry recipes I have you might want to try are Chicken and Mushroom curry which can also be made with Quorn, or lamb rogan josh.
For a mild Indian curry then a Tikka Masala or Mild chicken curry is ideal.
For an aromatic vegetable curry that is perfect with chips, rice or even a jacket potato this homestyle vegetable curry is ideal!
Rice-based Indian meals
I love one-pan dishes like mixed vegetable biryani. There are so many ways you can adapt this one recipe to make the perfect biryani dish for you and your family. Why not give it a go with different vegetables or add meat in? Just ensure it is all thoroughly cooked.
An alternative that uses a few more pans but is a totally authentic Biryani recipe is my Chicken Biryani.
African rice dishes
If you fancy something a little different to the usual Indian why not try one of these African recipes with rice?
I love Nigerian Jollof rice. Have you tried it yet? If you haven’t, then you really should. It is amazing!
Moroccan dishes are great with rice, too. I have a Moroccan meatballs recipe, which would be great served with rice. Perhaps you prefer this Moroccan Chicken casserole?
A popular Portuguese-African dish is Piri Piri chicken. Have you tried out my Piri Piri recipe for it with rice? If not, then why not give it a try?
Malaysian Rice dishes
The perfect dish from Malaysia with rice is this Malaysian red pepper and chicken curry. It works well with boiled rice, pilau rice or even egg fried rice.
Italian rice dishes and risotto recipes
Did you know that risotto is Italian? I absolutely love risotto and find them really easy to make. It uses short-grain rice such as arborio or carnaroli.
Check out my risotto tips if this helps you to make the perfect risotto.
Butternut squash risotto is my favourite, sometimes I add red peppers too to make it a little different. Really there are so many adaptions you can make it would be ridiculous to list them all. Ben loves bacon in risotto!
Have you ever ordered risotto from a restaurant and it has been made with sherry and tastes amazing?
This delicious mixed mushroom risotto recipe tastes just like the Italian but is much healthier! If you fancy an easier mushroom risotto, then try this garlic mushroom risotto.
Spanish-style rice meals
The Spanish love to make paella using short-grain paella rice. Paella differs from risotto primarily because all the stock is put in with the rice at the same time rather than bit by bit. There are so many different variations, however of what makes the perfect paella.
Stuart and Ben love my mixed meat paella and regularly ask for it! I have made a version which is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, vegetable and chickpea paella.
Mexican rice recipes
Rice is the perfect accompaniment for chilli, isn’t it, along with dips like sour cream. Whilst you are cooking your chilli either in a pan or in the slow cooker, just boil your rice as usual.
Chilli can be made vegetarian with beans or a meat substitute like Quorn or with beef as a chilli con Carne. Did you know you can also use turkey mince to make chilli? This easy turkey chilli recipe would go great with rice, too.
If you are looking for more of a burrito-type dish then Bean and rice burritos are a great way to have a Mexican dish using rice but healthily.
Caribbean rice dishes
Many Caribbean dishes are spicy, fruity, or both. We love Caribbean rice with jerk chicken. This is a popular meal in Jamaica apparently and so easy to make yourself.
Another that I cook for Stuart and Ben often in the slow cooker is Caribbean pepperpot stew. It is so easy to make and is full of flavour, they tell me. I boil some rice to serve with it.
Russian rice recipes
Did you know that the popular dish stroganoff is a Russian dish? I make this lovely Mushroom Stroganoff and serve it with boiled rice, and would highly recommend it.
Other dishes with rice
Rice is the perfect addition to any kebabs. Whether you make skewers with chicken, or vegetables and marinated with a sauce or spices a doner kebab with rice would be a perfect addition.
For an easy work lunch or buffet meal, how about this easy chicken rice salad?
Egg-fried rice but be a common side dish for Chinese or Indian meals but really can be enjoyed with most things. Here is a healthy egg fried rice recipe for you to try.
Pilaf is a rice dish that does not seem to have a specific origin that is confirmed but appears to be likely to be Turkey. Asparagus pilaf is very easy to make and perfect on a budget.
Have you ever stuffed vegetables with a rice mixture for a tasty meal? I have stuffed giant marrow before, it was huge and barely fit in the oven!
More frequently than that experiment though, I make stuffed peppers. There are such a variety of things you can stuff them with but this stuffed peppers recipe with rice inside is delicious. You can even make stuffed peppers in the slow cooker!
Have you considered Teriyaki beef? I saw this recipe on a fellow blogger’s site and can’t wait to try it with Quorn.
BBQ pulled pork, pulled chicken or even pulled jackfruit are all great for boiled rice. The sauce they have mixed well with the rice and is a perfect meal for all the family.
Cauliflower rice
Have you ever had cauliflower rice as an alternative to the usual rice? It is really easy to make by simply grating the head of cauliflower and microwaving it for a couple of minutes. Alternatively, stir-frying lightly does the trick too.
I would recommend making your own as it is usually much cheaper than buying it! Additionally, if you do buy it, check the ingredients as some of the prepared ones contain oil and, as such, are less healthy.
If you love rice but get a little bored of it or perhaps have run out. Have you considered cauliflower rice? It is really simple to make by grating cauliflower and then either briefly microwaving or frying until hot.
It doesn’t have that much flavour but I like to make pilau cauliflower rice which is great and has so much flavour.
This chicken cauliflower fried rice is a great recipe to try if you want to give it a go. What about having it with roti and spiced cauliflower?
Do you ever have a cupboard of tins, rice, and vegetables and wonder what you can make?
Mushy pea curry is our go-to meal in that situation. It really can include most things you need to use up and is pretty cheap and tasty at the same time!
Alternatives to rice
I have already mentioned cauliflower rice but other possible alternatives that work well instead of boiled rice are quinoa, couscous or bulgur wheat. Why not give them a try sometime?
Disclaimer: Just Average Jen is not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns yourself as these are approximate to the best of my knowledge.
Slimming World Rice information
On Slimming World all dry rice grains are syn-free. They only become synned if you cook them with an ingredient that has syns. This includes oil, remember, so don’t use that if you don’t need to.
Packet rice is generally synned on Slimming World as it usually contains ingredients that are not syn-free. Check each packet yourself before buying or using it to avoid getting caught out.
If you are doing a few Slimming World SP days, which are low-carb days for those who do not follow the plan, then you can not have rice on it. If you have rice in any form, then it is not truly a SP day.
This, of course, does not mean you will explode or gain a stone in weight. What it does mean, though, is you won’t get the weight loss you would have if you followed their plan to the letter. Of course, the choice is yours.
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